Chance
by SML818
Summary: Anything can happen in the Commonwealth, that's the only thing that's certain. Life in the wasteland is a game of chance, and like any game, there are winners and losers. Upon making a routine journey to Nuka World, one survivor is forced to pay off her debts. (Set in a slight AU: all 4 factions are active, though the SS has played little part in things. Rating will likely change)
1. Chapter 1

Chance

Chapter 1: Let's Play

"C'mon, just give me a bit more time, I swear, I'll pay it off."

"Now, you know I can't do that. And the fact you can't pay off the caps isn't my problem. I can't dictate that you get more time, you've had more than enough as it is."

"I don't have the caps! I just need a few more days, I swear!"

"I'm sorry, bud. This isn't anything personal, I'm just doing my job. Besides, there's still a chance you could walk away from this."

"Let's just get this over with."

A quiet chuckle echoed through the store-room. A man; looking to be barely thirty, trying to keep a straight face through his growing fear, took a knee across from a younger-looking, smaller female. She seemed to be hardly twenty, wearing a mildly contented expression as she casually loaded a single round into the cylinder of the revolver she held. The chamber clicked softly, metallically, as it spun. Once it stopped, she set the revolver on its side between them.

The revolver spun on its side, breaking the silence with the sound of the metal against the hard surface of the ground. The firearm spun, slower and slower, until it finally stopped, the muzzle pointing towards the man. He silently picked up the gun, cocking back the hammer and raising the gun to his head. The man closed his eyes, trying to avoid the unnerving gaze of the young woman across from him. With a final deep breath, he pulled the trigger. The hammer clicked, and the cylinder rotated, no shot was fired.

The young woman took the revolver, and repeated the process of priming it and bringing the gun to the side of her head, though with a practiced confidence and a steady hand. She pulled the trigger, keeping her eyes on the man before her, and once again, the pair was met by only the soft click of the rotating chamber. She passed the firearm back to the man.

He took the revolver, cocked back the hammer, and raised it to his head once again. With a shaking breath, he closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger.

The shot was sudden, and echoed off the bare concrete walls. Anyone else would have jumped at the sudden noise, but the young woman remained as she was. With a shake of her head, she approached the slumped body of the man.

"Luck just wasn't on your side, Bud. Though, I guess that's what happens when you deal with someone who goes by Roulette."

She let out another quiet chuckle, and plucked the gun from the man's hand. She cleaned off the blood from the end of the barrel, and placed the revolver back into the holster at her side. The young woman straightened up after fishing the caps out of the dead man's pockets, he had nothing else of use to her on him, anyways. With this, she turned and left, without as much of a side-long glance back at the body.

"And to think, I actually sort of liked you. That's just how the game goes, there's always a winner, and always a loser; and I haven't lost yet."


	2. Chapter 2

Chance

Chapter 2: Something Different

Roulette entered Goodneighbor's Third Rail with and easy confidence. The city was rough, and often thought of as a sort of safe-haven for the dealers and mercs of the Commonwealth by many. That wasn't a problem to her, though. Where there were dealers and mercs, there was bound to be work for her.

She met with the man who had employed her, and worked out his fee for her work. After collecting the payment, the young woman made her way to the back, lounge-like area of the establishment, picking up a Nuka-Cherry as she went by the bar.

The back area of the bar was mostly empty, and quieter than the front, with the voices of patrons being muffled by the walls. The pink-tinged lighting gave the area a warmer, somewhat more welcoming air than the dimer white lights of the front bar. Worn red chairs and sofas dotted the perimeter of the room, pushed against the tile which covered the wall from the floor to about half-way up.

Roulette situated herself on one of the sofas, lounging a bit as she popped the cap off of her Nuka, and pocketed the metal disk. She took a sip from the mouth of the bottle, and the sugary, cherry-flavored drink ran across her dry tongue and down her parched throat. It wasn't ice cold, but it was cooler than she'd expected.

The girl looked around the room, noting the young man in one of the red armchairs not too far away. He seemed to take notice of this, as he looked her way and gave a silent nod in greeting. Roulette returned the gesture, giving a small not and slight wave in response. A silent moment passed, seeming heavy and almost awkward, now that the pair had made contact with one another. The silence was eventually broken by, of all things, a hiccup from Roulette, as she swallowed another sip from her Nuka-Cherry wrong.

A chuckle came from the young man, "What the heck was that?" he questioned, somewhat jokingly.

"Probably an invitation to break the awkward silence," Roulette joked. "Or the fact that I can't swallow right half the time," she then added, in a deadpan sort of manner.

The stranger chuckled. "Looking for someone to do a job for ya?" he asked.

"Looking for a job, actually," she replied.

"A kid like you?"

"You're one to talk. You look like you're barely even twenty."

"Coming from the one who looks barely old enough to wander the wastes alone. And I'll have you know, I'm twenty-two."

"Eighteen. And you could've fooled me."

The exchange ended abruptly, and a silent moment went by. The silence didn't last long, though, before the pair burst out laughing. Roulette took another sip of her Nuka-Cherry as they settled down. After several moments, the pair had pulled themselves together.

"I'm MacCready, by the way," the young man clarified, offering out his hand.

"I go by Roulette," came the girl's reply, taking the man's outstretched hand in a firm handshake.

"So, you're in between jobs, huh?" MacCready questioned.

"Yeah, you?" Roulette answered.

"In between, myself. Just got off a pretty tough job, so I'm thinking of taking some time for myself, probably just go around the Commonwealth for a bit."

"I just got back from a job out in Far Harbor. Think I might stay in town a day or two, then head out to Nuka World."

"Nuka World? You know that place is filled with raiders, right?"

"Doesn't scare me."

"Are you fu- freaking crazy?"

"I've held my own against raiders and Gunners since I was thirteen. I'll be fine."

"A kid really shouldn't go out there alone."

"If you're that worried about a person you just met, then you're welcome to come along. Can't promise you'll get anything out of it, but I wouldn't mind the company."

MacCready was quiet for a moment. Had this kid just opened the door for him to join her in going to a raider-infested, pre-war amusement park? He didn't even know why she was going there, for all he knew, she could be suicidal, or flat-out insane, or even both, come to think of it.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to go along," he stated, with a bit of a shrug.

Roulette chuckled a bit, offering her hand to MacCready, "I guess we'll be meeting up in a couple of days, then."

"I guess so," MacCready agreed, shaking her hand.

The pair sat in a now fairly comfortable silence. Roulette finished off her Nuka-Cherry, and eventually left. She went off to rent a room for the next couple of nights. As usual, the young woman haggled over the price of the room, only to bring the price down just fifty caps. Still, it was fifty caps that would stay in her pocket to go towards other things.

The time between MacCready and Roulette first meeting and their departure was fairly uneventful. Both simply went about their own business, which mostly involved preparing for the journey ahead. Purchasing ammunition, medical supplies, purified water, ensuring that their weapons were clean and functional, and making sure their armor was strong enough to protect them if needed, (at least in Roulette's case).

As they went about their preparations, both Roulette and MacCready had different concerns and questions about what may come their way on their journey.

For MacCready, questions concerning what he'd just gotten himself into buzzed in his mind. Why had he agreed to go? What was so important that a kid would go to Nuka World of all places? Why did he see someone four years younger than himself as a kid? And most importantly, why did he care about what happened to her?

In Roulette's mind, there were few concerns about the trek ahead. She'd made the trip a handful of times before, and never had too many issues. Her concerns lay with the man who she'd more-or-less employed as her companion. He'd known her for barely ten minutes, and he was concerned about her safety. Why did this guy care? If he was so scared about going to Nuka World, why would he even bother going? The guy didn't even know why she was going. Besides, he was only four years older than herself, barely enough to command authority, as far as she was concerned. The question just kept nagging at her in the back of her mind; Why did this stranger care about what happened to her?

To both of them, one thing was certain. The coming trip to Nuka World was certainly going to be something different for both of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chance

Chapter 3: The Road to Nuka World

A couple of days went by, and the pair met up to begin their journey. Neither one of them looked much different from their first impression, aside from the fact that both were fully armed, and each carried a worn backpack.

"Ready to head out?" Roulette questioned.

"Ready as I'll ever be," MacCready offered in response.

Roulette nodded a bit, and the pair set out. The start of the trip was mostly silent. The unlikely companions simply walked along the remains of the road, with Roulette just a few steps ahead of MacCready. The girl was confident, she knew the route well, after all. It was a pretty straight shot from Goodneighbor, if you knew what path to follow.

After some time of silence, Roulette began to hum softly. The tune wasn't all that familiar to MacCready, but it was pleasant, all the same, as it broke the silence. Eventually, the man allowed himself to join in, quietly accompanying Roulette's tune with his own.

The most the pair encountered the first day, aside from the occasional feral ghoul or bloodbug, was a couple of radscorpions, which they had dispatched fairly quickly. They avoided any confrontation with super mutants, and a small group of Gunners who didn't see them pass by. The pair had a generally easy day, overall.

At nightfall, Roulette began to slow a bit, and grow more quiet. "We should try to find somewhere to rest overnight. We'll be getting into a pretty rough area soon, and I'd rather not deal with it in the dark," she suggested, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, it's getting tough to see, anyways. You can never know what's out there," MacCready answered. He'd never favored traveling at night, when anything could be in the dark, ready to strike at any moment.

The two continued on for a bit, before coming across what looked to be an old shack. It had fallen with time, the roof caving in, the wood scorched or otherwise rotted. Inside, it was musty and covered with splinters of broken wood, but it was otherwise fairly empty. No ghouls stood when they entered, no mutated bugs came out at them, and no raiders or Gunners shot at them. It was eerily quiet, but it was safe, at least for the night.

"This place is pretty safe, as long as you watch where you're going," Roulette informed her companion. "I've stayed in here before, it's not the best, but it'll do."

"I guess it's better than being outside," MacCready agreed, laying out his bedding alongside Roulette.

The younger of the two yawned, as the long day caught up with her. MacCready echoed the act, and shook his head a bit in an attempt to wake himself up.

"So," Roulette began. "Anything on your mind?"

"Huh?" the uncertain sound was the man's only response.

Roulette shrugged, "Just, looking to start a conversation, I guess. After all, you did agree to come along to a dangerous area with a person who, for all you know, could be insane."

MacCready shrugged a bit, laying down and propping himself up on his elbows. "Other than the given ' _What the actual fu- er, frick have I gotten myself into'_ there isn't much."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?

"Cut yourself off when you're about to swear."

"It's just a thing a I do. Habit, I guess. Why?"

"Just noticed that you tend to do that. Most people don't try to keep their language so clean."

"I'm just different like that, I guess."

The blue-eyed young woman nodded a bit.

"So, why are we heading to Raider Town?"

"I need to meet up with a couple of people at the park. You just decided to tag along."

"Who're you meeting with?"

"A couple friends of mine. Cherry and Gage. I'm gonna warn you now, they're probably going to be pretty hostile at first, but don't react to it. They tend to do that to just about everyone."

"And what if they shoot?"

"They're not gonna shoot, as long as you don't act as a threat. Keep any guns or knives away, and keep your hands out of your pockets," the young woman's posture was fairly relaxed, but her voice and expression made it obvious she was serious.

"I'm guessing they aren't really the trusting type," MacCready observed.

"Not in the slightest. Just don't look like a threat, and you'll be fine."

MacCready nodded, yawning. "We should get some rest."

"Yeah. I'll keep watch for a bit," Roulette told him. The young man nodded and lay down, falling asleep fairly soon after.

Morning seemed to come all too quickly. The dawn sunlight woke MacCready as it shone into his eyes. Roulette was already up and about, packing away her things, and getting herself in order.

"Hey," he mumbled, pulling himself up.

"Morning," she replied, barely looking up from what she was doing. She pulled out what looked to be some dried meat. The girl pulled a piece from the makeshift pack, before offering it to her companion. MacCready eyed the strips for a moment with mild suspicion, before taking one for himself. He made no comment about the meat, as he knew it was usually better to not know what he was putting into himself.

"We'll need to get going soon, if we want to get to Nuka World by nightfall," Roulette stated, rising to her feet. She pulled on her backpack, and ran her fingers through her half-head of black hair with a quiet sigh.

MacCready shrugged on his pack, and pulled his hat on over his head. The man resumed his pace a couple of steps behind Roulette, letting the girl lead him along the route.

Like the previous day, the first few hours went by silently. Eventually, the silence was broken by Roulette's humming, and MacCready joining in with her.

"How many times have you been to Nuka World?" MacCready questioned, after their humming had died down and lead back to silence.

"A few times. I haven't really kept track of it," Roulette answered. "If I had to put a number to it, I'd say probably five or six times."

"Huh, I guess you know what you're doing, then."

"Yeah, I guess so. You can never completely know what to expect, but you can at least get an idea once you've been around a few times."

"Makes sense."

The conversation died down, and the pair continued on their way. The hours went by as they progressed, filled with idle chatter and comfortable silences. As they walked, nothing of any major significance really came their way. A few skirmishes with mole rats, radroaches, and a handful of radscorpions were less than memorable. Most raiders in the area were likely already in Nuka World, so they were of little threat, and few Gunners were this far from the main areas of the Commonwealth. It was a long road to Nuka World, but at least it wasn't a lonely one for either of them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chance

Chapter 4: Introductions

Nightfall was well underway when Nuka World's main gate came into view. Roulette seemed almost as if she were meant to be there as she came up to the gate where a handful of armed raiders stood, chatting with one another. MacCready kept by her side, constantly reminding himself not to draw his gun on them.

"Roulette. You come to negotiate with the boss? He could probably get you in and set for a time," one of the raiders stated, upon noticing their arrival.

"You know as well as anyone that I'm not interested in being one of you," Roulette replied.

"Hey, you'd make a good raider, just keep that in mind."

"I'm not like any of you jerks."

The raider chuckled, "Keep telling yourself that, Roulette. Just keep telling yourself that."

Roulette shook her head, glaring a bit at the raider. "And he's with me," she off-handedly stated, motioning over her shoulder to MacCready.

The raider simply nodded, letting the pair by. MacCready was in a state of silent awe at what he'd just seen, and quiet concern at the comments which the raider had made. He was traveling with someone who would be spoken of as potentially being a ' _good raider'._ From his time with the Gunners, he knew what that meant. It meant that this kid was not someone to mess with. Why the hell had he decided to come along, again?

That didn't matter, now, as the ex-Gunner followed the teen in through the gate. Inside, the pathways of the park were lined with people, piles of rubble and junk, and makeshift stands and seating areas. Roulette paid little attention to what was around her, as she followed the path with MacCready in tow. The pair passed by several buildings, which were being used by the raiders, earning a few sideways glances and occasional remark getting thrown at Roulette, who would respond with a practiced, sometimes snide or sarcastic remark.

Several moments went by like this, before Roulette stopped in front of one of the buildings. A very subtle smile crossed her features, before it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"You remember what I told you last night?" Roulette questioned, placing a hand on the door and looking over her shoulder at her companion. MacCready gave her a nod of confirmation.

"Good. Because this is where you'll need it," she said over her shoulder. With that, Roulette pushed open the door. Almost immediately, there were two guns drawn and trained right on them. MacCready had to force himself not to go for his own gun, while Roulette shook her head a bit.

"He's with me, you two," the girl said. "I wouldn't turn on you like that, you know."

"Can never be too sure, Roulette," stated one of the armed people in front of them.

"C'mon, Gage, he didn't even reach for his weapon."

With a sigh, the armored man lowered his gun.

"Good to see you again, Rou," offered the second armed person. The redhead put away her 10 mm without protest as she offered a calm smile.

"Same to you, Cherry."

"Rou?" MacCready echoed in question.

"She just started calling me that at some point, and it sort of just stuck," Roulette explained with a shrug.

"C'mon, even you think it's cute," Cherry offered.

"Keep telling yourself that, Cherry," Roulette answered with a roll of her eyes.

"So, who's your friend, Roulette?" the raider-looking man, Gage, asked.

"He isn't really a friend, he just came along with me. This is MacCready. Mac, this is Cherry and Gage," Roulette explained, taking the moment to introduce MacCready to the other two in the room.

"I think I've heard of you. You wouldn't happen to have in in the Capital at some point, would you?" Cherry questioned.

"Yeah, actually. Why?" MacCready answered.

"Wait… You can't be… Mayor MacCready?"

Roulette did her best to stifle a fit of laughter, "Mayor?" she managed, before starting to lose her composure.

"Yep! I was really young, but I remember a Mayor MacCready running Little Lamplight back in the Capital."

A look of realization came to MacCready's face. "Do not tell me you were that little bi- eh, creep that kept stealing and hiding my fu- my ammo all the time," he stated.

"Hah, that was me! And what's this, no cursing? That's a change."

"You're still sarcastic, though."

"Um, what the hell is going on right now?" Roulette cut in, trying to break up the back and forth which left Gage and herself watching in awkward confusion.

Cherry laughed a bit, "Just some reminiscing, doesn't really matter. What matters, is that you're back in town. Let me guess, you've got another set you need on?"

"Two, actually. Just wrapped up a job a couple of days ago," Roulette informed her.

Gage let out a bit of a chuckle. "You work fast, don't you?" he asked.

"Goodneighbor's a great place to find work," Roulette replied.

Gage nodded in reply, "I guess it would be, considering what's rumored to go on around there."

Cherry gave a nod, "That, and she works fast. So, Rou, that'll be, what, ten tallies?"

"Yep. It'll bring it up to thirty."

"Already? I didn't think you'd been doing this for so long."

"The first five were before we met, remember?"

"Right. I'll get my kit, you get prepped."

Roulette nodded, as Cherry went around the corner to a different room. The young woman shrugged off her bag, removed her armor, and unbuttoned and shrugged off her overshirt, leaving her in a beat-up black tank-top. The shoulder of her left arm was adorned with sets of black tally marks, all tattooed into her fair skin, standing out like ink on a page.

"I'm guessing you're adding to whatever those stand for?" MacCready asked, motioning to the tallies on her arm.

"Yeah, I tend to keep track of how many I've taken out," Roulette explained. "Not sure why, maybe so people don't try to mess with me, I guess."

MacCready nodded a bit, "So, how'd you meet these guys?"

"I met Cherry a few years ago. I guess she'd just come up from the capital, and ended up in the settlement my dad and I were living in," Roulette began. "Gage came in later on, a couple of years ago, after I got myself into a rough spot."

"A rough spot?" Gage cut in. "You were going around with a gang of-"

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that," Roulette quickly interjected, before Gage could fully disclose the situation he'd found Roulette in.

Before things went too much further, Cherry returned with a kit in her hands. Roulette hopped up onto the table close to the group. The redhead took out what looked to be an old tattoo gun, and she prepared it, as well as Roulette's arm. The device buzzed as it came to life and began to make the new black marks on her arm.

"Don't tattoos hurt?" MacCready asked. From what he'd always assumed, it hurt to have that kind of thing done, considering it was a needle punching into your skin who knows how many times.

"Yeah, they did when I first started doing this, but I've kind of gotten used to the feeling at this point," Roulette answered.

The next several hours following Roulette's tattoo additions being finished and wrapped up went by fairly quickly. The four chatted about this and that, long after Cherry had finished her work. Cherry told a handful of animated stories, which were difficult to see as either reality or fiction. Meanwhile, Gage and MacCready enjoyed a few drinks, and Roulette listened to Cherry's tales, and wrote a few things in a notebook.

It was well into the night when they decided to turn in. Gage and MacCready were the first to turn in, followed by Cherry. Roulette remained up and about, working on a few modifications to a couple of weapons. The young woman wasn't all that tired, anyways, and she had too much to think about to get to sleep, especially after these introductions.


	5. Chapter 5

Chance

Chapter 5: BoSoB's

MacCready and Roulette remained in Nuka World for a few days, mostly because Roulette wanted to catch up with Cherry on a few things. At times, the pair would wander the park and surrounding areas. At one point, they caught the sound of what seemed to be power armor clanking in the distance. Upon investigating the noise, they found a group of four people clad in full suits of power armor, with the closest to them having a logo which both of them recognized right away. Emblazoned on the shoulder of the suit was the emblem of the Brotherhood of Steel.

"Oh, damn it all," Roulette muttered. "We should get going, unless we want to deal with the BoSoB's."

"BoSoB's?" MacCready questioned.

"Brotherhood of Sons of, well, you can figure it out," Roulette told him.

"That's, actually kind of clever," MacCready replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah, it's clever, and very true. Now, let's get out of here before they spot us," Roulette stated.

MacCready nodded. During his time in the Capital, he'd run into a handful of Brotherhood members, and hadn't enjoyed any of his encounters. He didn't know what experience Roulette had with the group, but she seemed to hold a similar distaste, if not a stronger one. The man followed the teen back to where they had been staying with Cherry and Gage, finding the pair in the middle of a conversation about some topic unknown to the newcomers.

"What're you two going on about, this time?" Roulette interjected, as the conversation continued, with neither participant noticing the arrival of herself and MacCready.

"Gage is saying he saw a gang of you-know-what's not far from the park," Cherry stated. "I don't believe it, they've never come this close."

"Actually, he's right. Mac and I found about four of them not too far out. It isn't normal, but it's true," Rou informed her.

"Damn, that's bad," the redhead muttered, giving a frustrated sigh.

"Yeah. I might have to take off if they don't leave."

"Wh- oh, right. Yeah, I can see why."

Roulette nodded, letting out an annoyed sigh. What the hell could the Brotherhood be doing this close to a safe haven for raiders? In all honesty, she'd rather not find out. Especially if a certain someone was among the team she and MacCready had found.

"What should we do now, then? The others have probably noticed those guys by now," Gage inquired.

"I don't know. Honestly, I just hope a certain you-know-who isn't here," Roulette replied. It wasn't much of an answer, but it was all she could give at the moment.

"Who?" MacCready questioned. Who was this person everyone in the room seemed to know about? All this talk of someone who wouldn't be identified by anybody was starting to both concern and confuse him.

"You don't need to know, Mac," Roulette stated, suddenly sounding cold an irritated.

"C'mon, Rou, he should know," Cherry urged.

"He doesn't need to know, Cherry," Roulette replied, before giving a sigh. "I need to get a few things, I'll be back later," she stated, before grabbing a pouch of caps out of her bag and leaving.

Cherry shood her head, sighing a bit. She turned to MacCready, "She hasn't told me much, but, well, Rou was part of some falling out with a member of the Brotherhood. I guess they used to be pretty close, but now, Rou won't even mention their name or how they knew each other," the redhead told him.

"Wow, that would kind of explain a few things," MacCready mused.

Suddenly, there started a commotion outside the building. The three occupants silently agreed to investigate, and stepped out into the path. Many of the raiders seemed to be muttering amongst themselves as a couple of Brotherhood members, still clad in power armor, came down the way.

"This doesn't look good," Gage observed.

"No shit, Gage," Cherry muttered.

Just then, Roulette came down the street, her pace quick, almost urgent. She absently pushed by the three bodies in the doorway, and made her way over to her bag. In her rush, she put the supplies she had bought into the worn backpack and strapped on her armor, before shrugging the bag onto her shoulders.

"What's the hurry?" MacCready questioned, finding the actions somewhat odd. In the short time he'd known Roulette, she'd never been this urgent in anything she did.

"We have to go. The BoS are moving in, and I'm not interested in hearing any of their bullshit," Roulette hurriedly, if not bitterly, stated.

MacCready nodded a bit, and went to get his own bag. Though, as he was getting his things together, a suit of power armor stood in the doorway to the room, blocking the way out.

The power armor-clad figure made their way inside and gave a partial wave. Roulette moved into the corner of the room, wanting to avoid being seen, as the back of the suit opened up, and the occupant lowered themselves out. A dull orange suit stood out against the faded interior of the building. As the stranger stepped into view, their most striking features were their height, their eyes, and a scar running across the left side of their jaw. The woman stood what seemed to be nearly six feet tall, and their eyes were a stunning, dark blue, standing out against their tan skin and black hair. She stood like many of the BoS MacCready had encountered; tall and straight, like the pre-war soldiers he had seen in faded posters. He had never understood why they would stand as if they were impaled head to toe on a pole, though he didn't care whether or not he ever found out the reason.

"Greetings, civilians," the stranger began, though before she could continue, Roulette rolled her eyes and cut in.

"None of us are interested," she stated, crossing her arms as she looked up at the imposing figure.

The stranger looked down at the shorter figure before her, before continuing with what she had been saying. "I am Initiate Thomas, with the Eastern chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. On behalf of the Brotherhood, I am here with my comrades to offer a hand to the inhabitants of Nuka World," she said, her tone even, just on the line between being calm and being authoritative.

"Catherine, nobody here is going to be interested in your BoS bull crap," Roulette interjected.

"You know her?" MacCready questioned.

"Unfortunately," Rou muttered.

The stranger wore a look of confusion for a moment, before she seemed to come to a sort of realization. "Ash?" she questioned, sounding somewhat surprised.

"I don't go by that, anymore. I haven't since you last saw me. And before you even try, I'm not coming back to you and all those BoSoB's," with that, Roulette began to leave, followed by her even more confused comrades.

The four left Nuka World, all carrying a backpack of some sort, and walked in silence. Roulette kept a brisk pace, seemingly still brooding from the entire encounter. Cherry and MacCready were both equally confused, and Gage wasn't about to disclose any of what he knew of the situation. Nothing was said for some time as they walked, heading to an area not too far from the park. As they arrived, the group found, to their relief, that there was no sign of the Brotherhood. The group entered the ghostly building and set down their things.

"Well this is fantastic," Roulette groaned, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms.

"Now do you know her?" Cherry questioned. "You had some sort of falling out with her, didn't you?"

"You don't need to know, Cherry," Roulette stated.

"Roulette, we have the right to know," MacCready urged.

"It's none of your business, Mac."

"You've got to tell them, Roulette," Gage told her, stepping into the situation. "If you don't tell them, I will," he passively threatened.

"You wouldn't," Rou suggested.

"You know I would, Ashley."

"Gage! You know I hate that name! Don't you dare go any further!"

"If you don't want me saying it, then you have to," Gage replied, crossing his arms.

"I hate you, Gage," Roulette grumbled, finally giving in. With a sigh, she finally submitted, knowing there was no way of avoiding this. "Well, I guess it's storytime. I'll tell you guys how I know those BoSoB's."


	6. Chapter 6

Chance

Chapter 6: Storytime

Roulette sat with MacCready, Cherry, and Gage. The latter had a stern, though somewhat smug look on his face. The girl glared at him before sighing lightly and clearing her throat.

"God, I don't even know where to start," she stated.

"Just tell them what you told me when we first met," Gage prompted.

"Right."

"C'mon, Rou, what went down? And, what was with Gage calling you Ashley?" Cherry urged.

"Because he's one of the only people I've met I've actually told my real name to," Roulette stated. "Now, let me get this started, and over with. I'm not exactly looking forward to this."

"Stop stalling, then."

With a roll of her eyes, Roulette stood and perched herself up on a nearby table, letting one leg hang down over the edge, as she hugged the other one up to her chest.

"It all happened a while back. Some stuff had happened, while I was still a kid, and living in the Capital with my dad. Anyways, my sister and I ended up going around, just trying to get by however we could. At some point, we came across a couple of BoS trying to deal with a Deathclaw, and having some issues with it. So, we did what we could and helped them out. Afterwards, one of the guys offered us both a spot in the Brotherhood, with him as our sponsor. With nowhere else to go, we agreed.

"We were in for a few years, my sister liked it, and honestly agreed with what they believed. I didn't, though. So, she and I ended up getting into a pretty bad fight, and I walked out. A while later, I ended up meeting Gage, and the rest is history."

Roulette looked to Gage as she wrapped up her tale, silently asking if he was happy he'd gotten this out of her. Several moments of silence went by as Cherry and MacCready ran through all of this new information. MacCready found that it all seemed to make sense. The girl's posture sometimes seemed close to that of many Brotherhood members, straight back, squared shoulders, with her head held high. The story also brought to light why she had showed such a distaste for the Brotherhood.

Cherry found the tale was a missing piece to a puzzle, for her. It explained what had caused her friend to basically vanish for quite some was upset, even angry with Roulette to a point, for not telling her about this, but, she could see why her friend wouldn't have brought it up. The redhead herself had always held a strong distaste for the Brotherhood, and looking back, she likely wouldn't have taken the news well at all.

"So," MacCready began, finally breaking the silence. "That Initiate, was she, you know…?" he questioned, unsure of just how to ask the question burning in his head.

"Yeah. That was my sister. Real piece of work, right?" Roulette answered, with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

"Explains why you two looked so alike."

Roulette nodded, "Yeah, our dad always told us we looked like our mom, and he was probably right, but, I wouldn't know, she died not long after I was born."

Cherry approached Roulette after a moment of silence passed. The redhead placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, offering a subtle smile. The former Brotherhood member returned the smile, relieved that her story had been taken so well.

After a fairly long moment of silence, MacCready finally spoke up, "Hey, it's no worse than what I did in the past," he offered. "I ran with the Gunners for a while, myself."

"Didn't see that one coming, Mayor," Cherry joked.

"Shut up, Cherry," MacCready stated. "And don't call me that."

"Too late, she's already started. It's gonna stick now, Mac," Roulette told him.

"Great," MacCready muttered.

Cherry laughed a bit, amused by MacCready's annoyance. Roulette lightly punched her arm, laughing a bit, herself.

The rest of the day carried on, with the four exchanging stories and laughing. Nobody cared what the others had done in the past, and simply joked with one another over their past activities. Their conversation lasted well into the night, until they all finally decided to turn in and get some rest. For all, it had turned out to be a decent time, a fair trip down memory lane, in a way.


	7. Chapter 7

Chance

Chapter 7: Invitation

A couple of days went by before the group returned to the main park. As they entered, the four found that the BoS were still hanging around the area. Many of the raiders within the park seemed to either ignore their being around, or looked to be actively trying to get them to leave.

Roulette ignored the Brotherhood members, making her way to the building they had all started out in. The young woman seemed to be much more tense, saying little on the matter. As they group entered the building, they found that little had changed. The suit of power armor belonging to Roulette's sister was no longer in the corner, leaving the space a bit more open. On one of the work benches sat a pad of paper with a handwritten note. The script was a bit coarse-looking but it was still legible.

"Who could've left a note here?" Cherry questioned, as Roulette went to investigate it herself.

"I think I've got an idea of who," Roulette answered, reading over the message. The girl shook her head, before wordlessly crumpling the page into a ball and tossing it aside.

MacCready looked on, equal parts confused and sure of what had been left on the page. Despite this, he asked anyways, "What did it say?"

"Nothing you should be concerned about, Mac," Roulette stated.

"Hey, you and I've been traveling together for over a week, and now you've pulled me into this mess. Don't tell me I couldn't be concerned about something that obviously messes with you when I'm here right by your side," MacCready told the blue-eyed teen he'd been traveling with.

Roulette let out a sigh before responding. "It was from my sister," she stated. "Said she was sent back to report to the Elder and wanted me to go and meet with the two of them. I can only imagine why."

"What're you going to do?" Gage chimed in.

"I don't know. I was planning on heading back to Goodneighbor now that these tallies have healed up. I have no clue if I'll actually stop by or not, I doubt I'd be able to take that much BoS bull."

"Well, maybe they just want to talk and make amends?" Cherry suggested.

"The Elder wouldn't want to just make amends. Maxson probably wants me back with the Brotherhood. I've got no intention of rejoining those bastards, and my sister wouldn't have tried to keep me from leaving if she actually gave one about what I believe."

"I think you should go, Rou. Humor them just this once. They might just want some answers."

Gage nodded, "You did leave pretty quickly, without giving any real reason."

MacCready and Cherry nodded in agreement. All three believed that the Brotherhood, as much as they hated to admit it, deserved some answers. For all any of them new, Roulette's only family was with the BoS, and they would want to at least know that she was still alive and fairly well.

"You guys would make one really annoying conscience, you know?" Roulette muttered. "I'll think about it, but I'm not making any promises."

"That's all we could ask from you, Rou," MacCready told her, mimicking Cherry's use of the blue-eyes girl's nickname.

"If you ever call me that again, I swear, I'll punch you, Mayor," Roulette jokingly threatened, deciding to mimic Cherry's use of the young man's former title.

"Don't… Don't call me that," MacCready told her, fumbling a bit in his short moment of surprise and mild confusion.

"If you want to get that meeting over with, you should probably get going, it'll start getting dark soon," Gage stated.

With a nod, Roulette shrugged her bag on over her shoulders, and MacCready followed suit. "You know I won't be gone too long, you guys. Besides, you can always come by Goodneighbor, sometime," she called offered over her shoulder as she and MacCready left. With that, the pair set out on their way.

The pair made their way back towards Goodneighbor, and were mostly silent for the majority of their journey, preoccupied by their own thoughts. On the second day of their trip back, Roulette finally spoke up.

"I'm going to take a detour, Mac. You can keep going on to Goodneighbor if you want, but I'm going to stop by the old airport," she stated.

"I'll stick with you, Roulette. Been with you this far, I've got your back," MacCready told her, offering a friendly grin.

Roulette nodded, returning his smile, and they set off towards the airport. MacCready kept just a couple of steps behind the girl, comfortable to let her lead him. It satisfied the ex-Gunner in a way, to see that his young companion had accepted the invitation to reunite with what could be her only family. On the other hand, though, Roulette had only this on her mind; figuring out what the hell her sister could want.


	8. Chapter 8

Chance

Chapter 8: Reunion

Hours went by as the pair made their way towards the old pre-war airport. Nothing much was said between them, as they were both preoccupied by their own thoughts. As they approached the building, their attention was drawn upwards. Tethered to an old radio tower of sorts, casting an ominous shadow over them, was a large airship.

"Impressive, but not surprising," Roulette muttered, half to herself, and half addressing the man beside her.

The space around them seemed to buzz with activity as they came closer, becoming engulfed by the airship's massive shadow. Before they came too close, however, the duo were stopped by a Brotherhood member clad head to toe in power armor.

"What is your business here?" he sternly questioned.

MacCready was about to give a reply, though he was shot down by Roulette as she began to speak. "We are here to speak with Initiate Catherine Thomas and Elder Arthur Maxson," she stated, her tone growing somewhat stern as she clearly stated their intentions.

After a moment of thought, the power armor-clad figure stepped aside, allowing the two by. Roulette gave what vaguely resembled a thanks as she and MacCready continued on their way. As they came still closer to the airship, the pair encountered another man clad in a suit of power armor, though he was not wearing his helmet. The man seemed strong, and well experienced as he addressed them.

"Ashley Thomas, I presume?" the man questioned.

"That's me," Roulette answered.

The man nodded. "I am Paladin Danse. Initiate Thomas asked that I escort you up to the Prydwen and to the meeting arranged between yourself, Initiate Thomas, and Elder Maxson," the man informed the pair.

"Let's be on our way, then," Roulette stated. She forced herself to remain calm and levelheaded, trying not to seem annoyed at once again having many addressed by a rank. Even hearing her own name was annoying, in a way.

The Paladin nodded and lead Roulette and MacCready up to the Prydwen. The three made their way through the passageways as their steps echoed off the metal walls around them. Eventually, they came to a stop before a set of marked doors. Danse ushered the two through the doors and into a large room. As Roulette and MacCready entered, the Paladin hung back by the door.

MacCready felt out of place as he and Rou approached the only other people in the room. Meanwhile, Roulette's posture straightened out as they came closer. It was a subconscious act, still ingrained into her mind from her time with the Brotherhood.

Before them stood the tall figure of Catherine, clad in the same dull orange and gray uniform she'd been in when they first met. Next to her stood an even more imposing figure. The man was roughly Catherine's height, with a strong build, and clad in a black and olive uniform, over which he wore a black and gray, somewhat battered coat. The man's hair was cut very close to the sides of his head, and the top was longer and slicked back, allowing the scars on his face and his bright blue eyes to be on display.

"Catherine," Roulette addressed. She turned to the imposing man, ensuring she was pulled to her full height, though the man still towered head and shoulders over her.

"Glad you could make it, Ash," Catherine replied. "This is Elder Maxson," she added, motioning to the man beside her.

"I've heard quite a bit about you from Initiate Thomas," Maxson said, his voice gruff and commanding.

"Such as?" Roulette prompted, giving no effort to address the Elder with the same respect anyone currently in the BoS would.

"Ashley, respect! You're talking to a superior officer, an Elder, no less," Catherine interjected, sounding as if Roulette had just slapped the man.

"What does it matter? You're the one who's active with these guys, not me," came Roulette's reply.

"As I've heard," Maxson interrupted. It was obvious to Roulette that he wouldn't let an argument start between Catherine and herself, at least not while he was in the room. "You abruptly left the Brotherhood, two years ago, now?" the Elder went on, his tone hardly leading on to the fact that he was actually asking a question.

"Yes, I did," Roulette answered.

"Why is that?"

"I realized that I didn't agree with the values of the BoS, and so made the decision to leave."

"And you neglected to inform any superior officers of your departure."

"What does that matter?"

"Without having formally left the Brotherhood, it means that you are still an Initiate within our ranks. With that considered, it also means that you can also be subject to disciplinary action."

"That makes no sense," MacCready butted in. "She left years ago, what would it do to punish her for it, now?"

"According to our records and procedures, Ashley M Thomas never actually left the Brotherhood of Steel," Maxson told him. "Meaning her leaving is counted as insubordination, already a serious charge. That coupled with what she may have done while not associating herself with the Brotherhood, that charge could be the least of her worries," Maxson's tone had shifted as he spoke, becoming colder and more serious. His hard gaze fixing itself onto Roulette, almost as if he expected her to squirm under the weight of his words. The only ones doing so, however, were the girl's companion and sister.

"You can't just-," MacCready began to voice his objections further, only to be abruptly cut off by Roulette.

"Stay out of this, Mac," she told him. "I half expected this. Knew there had to be some sort of catch to this little reunion," the girl stated, aiming a cold glare at Catherine.

"Ash, I swear, I didn't know about this," Catherine offered.

Roulette gave no reply to her older sister. "Do what you will with me, Maxson, but ensure that my friend is kept out of it," she stated, looking up the the imposing man.

Maxson gave a curt nod, and turned to Catherine. "Initiate, escort the civilian down to ground level," he ordered, before turning to Paladin Danse, who had witnessed all of this from the doorway of the room, while saying nothing. "And Paladin, bring her to the brig," he told him, motioning to Roulette.

"Yes, sir," came their reply, both voices seeming to echo off the bare metal walls, into the heavy silence which had fallen over the room.

After Roulette and MacCready were lead out, nobody uttered a word. MacCready was lead back out and to solid ground, while Roulette was practically marched deeper into the Prydwen, stripped of her weapons and armor, and detained. The only thing running through the minds of MacCready and the sisters; _So much for a peaceful reunion._


	9. Chapter 9

Chance

Chapter 9: Interrogation

Roulette remained locked up for what seemed to be ages. Paladin Danse had left her under the watch of a Knight-sergeant as he went to inform the Elder that his orders had been carried out. She sighed quietly in the silence, with the tension and dread of what could come slowly manifesting in her mind.

She ran through what she remembered from her time with the Brotherhood, trying to figure out just what might happen. Some of the possibilities were frightening, in all honesty. The BoS rarely hesitated to hand out physical punishments for infractions such as her own, and some of these could be incredibly severe. Simple demotions could also be implemented, and one could even be completely ejected from the Brotherhood. Some of the possible actions could be taken with other members present, and word often got around quickly, anyways. No matter what happened, people would quickly learn of it.

The hours ticked by slowly, and Roulette watched the door through the bars of the cell door. She paced and fidgeted despite herself. Suddenly, the door to the passageway opened, and Danse entered. The man seemed marginally smaller without his power armor, though he was still a man of strong build, regardless. The Paladin strode over to the Knight-sergeant, and the two exchanged a salute.

"Elder Maxson requested that the detainee be moved for interrogation," the Paladin told him, his voice even. The Knight-sergeant nodded, unlocking and opening the door to the cell. Roulette stepped out, offering no resistance as her hands were cuffed behind her back. She was lead by the Paladin to a smaller room which housed only a single table, a light, and a pair of bare metal chairs.

Upon entering the room, Danse sat Roulette down on one of the chairs, saying nothing to the young woman. The pair remained blanketed in silence for several moments before the door opened and the Elder stepped in. He and Danse exchanged a salute, before the Paladin left the room without a word.

Maxson took a seat across the table from Roulette. The two were silent for a moment, observing one another. Both held themselves in a strong manner, each eying the other for any sign of anxiety. Neither party found any trace of worry in the other.

Finally, the Elder spoke. "I had secretly hoped I would be the one to locate the rogue Ashley Thomas," he stated, almost seeming amused or satisfied with himself. "But, now is not the time to dwell on that. Right now, I need answers so that the proper actions can be taken."

"Or, you could just let me go and file in that I was found dead," Roulette offered, her tone being one of nonchalance and sarcasm.

"You know as well as I do that, that isn't going to happen, Initiate."

Rou shrugged, "It was worth a shot."

Maxson gave a subtle roll of his eyes. "Now, you disagreed with some of the values held by the Brotherhood. What would those happen to be?"

"The flat-out hostility towards all ghouls and synths," Roulette simply informed him. If the man wanted information, she was going to make him work for it.

"Elaborate," the Elder stated, urging the girl on. Her game was subtly obvious, and he knew well that two could play at it.

"The desire to eliminate feral ghouls and hostile synths is understandable, but if they are simply going about their own business, why waste the energy and resources? Why harm those who are making no effort to harm you?"

"Any ghoul can go feral, and any synth can turn hostile. It is only a matter of time. We remove the threat before it has the chance to manifest itself."

Roulette rolled her eyes, "A biased philosophy. Goodneighbor's mayor is a ghoul, for god's sake."

"And it's dangerous and disgusting," Maxson returned.

Roulette glared at the imposing man, leaning back in her chair. "Anything else you're looking to get out of me?"

"You knew the regulations concerning departure from the Brotherhood of Steel, correct?" the Elder questioned, deciding to ignore the girl's sarcasm.

"Of course," Roulette told him, in a very 'matter of fact' sort of way.

"And the actions which could be taken if those procedures were neglected?"

"All members of the Brotherhood of Steel know them, myself included."

"Yet you close to blatantly ignore all of it."

Roulette gave a half nod, "Basically," she bluntly stated.

Maxson was now starting to get annoyed. The short answers he was being given were getting him nowhere quickly. He fought to keep a level head as he continued on, "Why?" he questioned. His tone was now more stern and demanding, qualities which he hoped would draw some sort of response from the Initiate.. The training she'd received, all of the regulations and expectations of the Brotherhood were still in her head. He simply had to bring them to the surface.

"Because," Roulette began, her voice lowering a bit as she replied. "I didn't care. I was leaving, and nothing was going to slow me down or change my mind. I was done with it. Done with all of the bull shit you and the other members of this damn group believe," she told him, leaning towards the Elder as she spoke. Her voice had become somewhat softer, but more serious as she had answered, the uncanny calm that lingered after her words were silenced unsettled the hardened Elder, though he would never admit to it.

"What were you up to out there?" Maxson's fists clenched under the table, as his frustration continued to build. He'd finally gotten a full, straight answer, and it was nearly enough to make his blood boil.

"Helping ghouls and runaway synths. And a select few things which you'd no doubt disapprove of," Roulette told him, with a smug smirk.

"Such as?"

Rou gave a bit of a chuckle, almost as if he had told a joke, or as if she were about to tell one herself. "Let's just say I did pretty well for myself, and didn't earn the name ' _Roulette'_ for nothing."

Maxson took a moment to think about this. It was easy to tell that the actions the young woman before him had taken part in were less than desireable, even if he didn't know what they actually had been. What had made him pause, though, was not what the girl had said, in fact, it had been how she had said it. It was almost as if the memory of what she had done was amusing to her.

"It would seem I have fair reason to go about the usual regulations," Maxson stated.

"Do what you will, you won't change my opinion," Rou told him, seeming far too calm about the entire situation.

Maxson shook his head, before getting up and fetching Danse from outside. The Paladin entered, and ushered Roulette out of the room. The girl was locked in her cell once again, while the Elder left to his private quarters to think things over.

The situation was somewhat difficult for the young Elder to comprehend. The man had heard about the rogue Initiate, and had even thought about what he may do if he was the one to find the girl. Now, though, with the information he had, his original ideas fell apart. The man hadn't anticipated the extent to which the girl would have gone. In the wake of this interrogation, Maxson found he had quite a few options to consider.

 _ **((A/N: Sorry about the wait, everybody. This chapter was supposed to be up back on 30 August, but I ended up getting busy, and so to make up for lost time, I'll be posting 3 chapters today [14 September]. So it'll be this chapter, chapter 10, and chapter 11 going up. Hopefully I'll make sure to keep up with future updates.))**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chance

Chapter 10: Planning

Maxson spent the next couple of days trying to come up with just what to do. He felt that a full display of whatever happened would be the best, as it would deter any other personnel from repeating Ashley's misdeeds. Although, he was left with the nagging question of just what should be done. Taking a diplomatic approach would likely be slow, and have less of an impact. A more direct and physical approach would go down faster, and stay in the minds of the Prydwen's crew for far longer.

This faster, more severe approach seemed to be the best option to Maxson, and far more appropriate. Although the Elder was not normally one to turn to violence to communicate a point, he was far from being entirely above the idea. The way he saw it, the occasional show of force was the key to keeping one's men in line. Showing strength ensured that they had a healthy inkling of fear, which would make disobedience seem like something to be avoided like a plague.

Now on his mind was just what to do. He did not desire to strictly humiliate the Initiate, as that could cost the respect of his men. Although, the use of too much force could have a similar result. The line which needed to be walked between the cause of too much shame and the use of too much force was a fine one, which had to be tread upon lightly. After hours of debating, the Elder found he was getting nowhere on his own. The man rose from his seat behind his desk, feeling there was only one man aboard who could actually offer assistance. Donning his battle-coat, Maxson went to speak with Paladin Danse.

The Elder found the Paladin alone, tending to his power armor. His uniform was unzipped, with the sleeves tied around his waist, leaving a dull gray undershirt exposed. With his attention fully trained on the power armor suit in front of him, the Paladin gave no indication that he had noticed the Elder.

"Paladin," Maxson curtly addressed. The kneeling figure of Danse jumped at the sudden sound of the Elder's voice, and turned, rising to his feet to face the man, and he gave a salute.

"Elder Maxson," Danse addressed. "I apologize, my attention was directed to making some repairs," he stated, explaining his initial lack of a reaction.

Arthur nodded, "Of course. I came to speak with you about Initiate Thomas," he stated.

"Which Initiate Thomas, sir?" Danse questioned.

"Initiate Ashley Thomas," Maxson clarified.

Danse nodded, "Trying to figure what to do with her?"

"Yes. Days have gone by, and I still have no solid plan."

"I presume you'll be using this to set an example?" Danse asked, as he turned to pick up a rag to wipe his oil-covered hands on.

Maxson gave a nod, "I see it as a fair opportunity. It would set an example for the crew, and send a message to Thomas herself."

"Well, you could use the standard method."

"I suppose, though, would it leave enough of an impression?"

"I believe so. It is rarely needed, at this point in time, and so the only real factor is how much you put into it."

Maxson nodded a bit, thinking this over. Danse had a fair point, an open display of disciplinary action was less common among the Brotherhood now, and it was only ever used in serious circumstances, to begin with. This would leave an image in the minds of the Prydwen's crew, no matter how it is executed.

"Thank you, Paladin. I appreciate your input," Maxson stated.

Danse nodded, "Of course, Elder," he replied, before turning back to his power armor.

The Elder went back to his private quarters, finding he needed to think things over once more. He had witnessed this sort of action be carried out only a few times in the years gone by, but he had never been more than a bystander. He had never carried out this punishment, and had been lucky enough to never receive it, himself. Back then, it had been difficult to watch, the visual itself coupled with the sound of the implement and the cries of the unfortunate soul to be on the receiving end only added to the harsh nature of the spectacle. Many members of the Brotherhood had witnessed this, and some had been unfortunate enough to be the one to receive it, and so they all knew how it worked.

The member being disciplined would often be dressed in only their boots and a pair of shorts, (female members would also be clad in a cropped tank-top to ensure their chests were covered), and nothing more. Their wrists and ankles would be restrained, exposing their torso and back. At times, depending on the circumstances, the two highest-ranking members present (often the Elder and the next highest in command) would have water retrieved and have the cold liquid thrown over the restrained body. The main part of the punishment was the most difficult for many to witness. The lashes would fall across the back, leaving angry red marks, which would often bleed. Following this, the victim could be once again doused with water before their restraints were removed, allowing them to get themselves cleaned up, and treated if it was needed.

Maxson took a breath, the thought of what he was going to do brought about an odd mix of emotions; pride and anxiety being the most obvious to him. The Elder himself was still young, only maybe two years older than the Initiate in question. Having this much authority was a hard-earned place, filling him with pride at having achieved it so early on, but it terrified him just as much. Maxson had to maintain a careful balance, and work far harder to keep the respect of the men and women in his charge, despite his accomplishments.

The Elder took a breath, and rose from his seat behind the metal desk. He knew this had to be done, and it had to be done soon. Maxson pulled himself together, and left the room, going to prepare things. That evening, Ashley Thomas would see what she had evoked by defying the values of the Brotherhood of Steel.

 _ **((A/N: The next chapter is going to be pretty intense, as well a good amount of the story from this point on. So, I'm going to take the opportunity to warn all you readers now, that this is going to be a thing. I'm going to be bumping the rating up, just to be safe, though nothing is going to be getting sexual as far as I have planned for the time being. It's just going to be getting intense, is all. That's all I have to say on this, I'll be putting another note at the start of the next chapter, just to be safe, and we'll be getting right back into the story from that.))**_


	11. Chapter 11

Chance

Chapter 11: Disciplinary Action

 _ **((A/N: Just to let you all know right away, this chapter is pretty intense. It was enough to where I made the decision to bump up the rating for this story, even though I could possibly get away with the T rating, I wanted to be safe, and so I brought it up to M. I'm not going to ramble too much here, I just wanted to warn everyone, this chapter is pretty detailed on what happens to Roulette, so please keep that in mind, and don't flame for what's coming up. This chapter is still important to the story, so I wouldn't recommend skipping it. For those who really, really desire to skip, I will have a short recap at the start of the next chapter, but please, I suggest reading this chapter in full, despite the harsh nature of it.))**_

The hours seemed to pass quickly for Maxson, as he went about the needed preparations. Meanwhile, it felt like an eternity to Roulette, still in her cell. Waiting in a silent cell did nothing to quicken the passage of time.

As it grew dark out, she found herself fidgeting with the leather band around her neck, adorned with a pair of bullets. She normally didn't pray, but as the door finally opened, Rou found herself sending a silent plea to anyone who might be listening. Though, through the door came only Catherine, carrying a bundle under her arm.

"Elder Maxson requests that you put these on," Catherine stated, passing the bundle through the bars of the cell door to Roulette. "I'm sorry you have to go through his, Ash. I really had no idea he was going to do this."

"Just, save it, Catherine. It's too late to change it, now," Roulette told her. "I don't care if you knew or not, I half expected it, anyways."

Catherine gave a bit of a sigh. "Alright, well, get changed, quickly. The Elder hates to be kept waiting. I've got to head up there, he wants all personnel gathered as soon as possible," she said.

Roulette nodded, and began to change when Catherine and the Knight-sergeant on watch over her stepped out to speak. The young woman stripped off her usual shirt and undershirt, as well as her worn boots and heavy pants, and went on to pull on the shorts and cropped tank-top. As she laced up and tied the boots, she found the weight familiar, resembling the boots she had first received upon joining the Brotherhood with her sister.

Soon, the Knight-sergeant returned, letting Rou out of the cell and cuffing her hands behind her back. The man lead her through the echoing halls of the airship, as they made their way up to the observation deck. They walked in through the doors, and the gathered crew of the ship stood at either side, stepping aside and making a path between themselves. Roulette found Catherine among the crowd, though didn't allow their eyes to meet for long. She came to a stop before Elder Maxson and a slim, dark-skinned man.

Maxson cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the assembled crew. "Everyone," he began. "Before you stands Initiate Ashley Thomas. As many of you know, Initiate Thomas attempted to abandon the Brotherhood of Steel, deserting her brothers and sisters in arms. For two years, she has gone about assisting ghouls and synths alike," he stated, his strong voice filling the room. The man's words brought about hushed murmurs from the crowd. The Elder cleared his throat again, silencing the assembly before continuing. "In the wake of her actions, Initiate Thomas will receive eight lashes, four per each year she disregarded her loyalty to the Brotherhood."

A heavy silence filled the room, as Maxson had the man beside him, Lancer-captain Kells, assist in restraining Ashley's wrists above her head, following the removal of the handcuffs which bound her. The ropes were looped through the metal rafters overhead, and her wrists were tied to the ends, restricting her movement. Her ankles were also restrained, being tied to heavy weights brought in from the airship's training facilities. Following this, the men stepped back.

"If you would, Kells," Maxson stated, his tone displaying a mix of the statement being an offer and an order.

Kells nodded, not uttering a word as he picked up a bucket of water, and proceeded to throw the cold liquid over Ashley's small form. As the water rushed over her, Ashley let out a sharp gasp, though said nothing.

Maxson picked up a looped, leather whip. He unfurled the leather impliment, as an oppressive silence fell over the entire room. The man pulled back, and landed the first strike with a loud _crack._

Ash closed her eyes tightly, balling her fists against the pain of the blow. She resisted the urge to yell out, it was far too early to allow herself to break. The next three lashes came in fairly quick succession.

 _Crack. Crack. Crack._

Each lash of the whip left a dark red mark, as the skin broke and allowed blood to trickle from under the skin. Ashley clenched her jaw, biting her lip hard and balling her fists tightly with each impact. The water on her skin was no longer bitterly cold, (not to say that it was warm it was simply a bit warmer than it had originally been), but it still rolled down her back and dripped from her hair, forming a puddle under the young woman.

She tried to focus on the feeling of the water on her skin, though she was abruptly pulled from her thoughts by another _crack_ echoing off the metal walls, followed by the stinging pain of the strike. A fairly subdued cry forced itself from Ashley's throat, it wasn't quite a yell, but in the heavy silence, it may as well have been. The two following strikes brought about a similar reaction, though they came out louder than the first.

A moment went by before the final blow was dealt. This final _crack_ seemed to be far louder than those which had come before it. The mark left behind crossed over several of those left by the earlier strikes, and Ashley's body visibly recoiled from the force of the blow, as the blood continued to trickle down her back.

A shout tore from Roulette's throat, and the cry echoed off the bare metal walls of the room. Soon after, Lancer-captain Kells doused the girl once again with a bucket of bitterly cold water, drawing another sharp gasp from the restrained figure. The girl's head fell forward, as her hair dripped with the frigid water. Her breathing was how shaky, as she allowed her restrained wrists to keep her upright, as she put all of her energy into preventing herself from breaking down.

"I would like for you all to keep this in mind," Maxson stated, turning to address the gathered crew of the Prydwen. "In the Brotherhood, the abandonment of your brothers and sisters can result in you ending up in this same position," he told the men and women before him. "You are all dismissed, you may return to your quarters and duties."

As the majority of the crew dispersed, Kells and Maxson released Ashley from her restraints. Catherine cautiously approached, assisting the men as her younger sister practically fell when her wrists were untied. Once the girl was released, Maxson moved on, getting one of the remaining crew members to gather what was needed to clean up the water on the floor. The Elder then left, possibly going back to his private quarters.

Kells shook his head a bit, "I need to return to the bridge, take her down to Knight-captain Cade," he told Catherine. "She should be dried off and warmed up, and those wounds look worse than I had anticipated."

Catherine gave a bit of a nod, and began to help her sister to the medical bay. The trek was fairly slow, and obviously anything but painless for Ashley. Catherine muttered quiet reassurances to her younger sister, finding that she didn't care if Ashley thought well of it or not. It helped her, at least.

Finally, the pair arrived at the small infirmary. Cade was sitting at the desk, typing up a terminal entry when he heard the shuffling of feet against the metal floors. He turned to face the sound, before rising from his seat.

"I expected the two of you to come down here," the Knight-captain stated, approaching the pair. "Get her dried off, and get those wet clothes off of her," he instructed. Catherine nodded, bringing Ashley behind a curtain and getting her dried off, removing her wet clothing and getting her into a dry hospital gown, before helping her up onto the bed.

Cade entered a short time later, with a rolling tray of medical supplies in tow. Ashley was sat up on the gurney, partially supported on Catherine's shoulder. The Knight-captain began to look over the wounds on her back, carefully cleaning them.

"These look worse than they are, really," he muttered. "They'll hurt for a time, and most likely scar, but there shouldn't be any real complications," he mused, as he began to wrap bandages over the wounds. "It was likely the pain that brought her down, and the shock of the cold water didn't help matters."

"I can hardly imagine how painful it must be," Catherine said, lending Cade a hand.

"I once received about half of what she did," Cade admitted. "I almost thought I was being stung by a radscorpion. Eight lashes, it had to have felt like being tossed around by a deathclaw," he informed her.

"Maybe. All I'm concerned about now is that she recovers. Ash was never really one to listen when she was told to stay put," Catherine told him.

"Well, she's going to have to listen, or it'll take longer for those wounds to heal."

Catherine nodded, carefully laying her sister down on the bed after Cade administered about half a dose of Med-X to her. Ash gave little response, as her mind gave in to her exhaustion, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Meanwhile, the elder of the two girls remained by the battered sister's side, until she herself found it difficult to stay awake. The older sister left to her own quarters, hoping that Cade's words held up, and that the sister she had once thought long gone would turn out just fine.


	12. Chapter 12

Chance

Chapter 12: Past Actions

 _ **((A/N: As a recap of the previous chapter [for those who decided to skip over it due to the warning I posted of some intense situations], here it is. Roulette, after having been detained by Elder Maxson as a result of her deserting the BoS, was disciplined by the Elder before the crew of the Prydwen. Following this, she was brought down to be treated by Knight-captain Cade for the injuries left behind by the punishment. This is where we pick up in this chapter, basically the morning after the events of Chapter 11.))**_

As usual, the morning seemed to come far too quickly. Catherine groaned in annoyance at the noise of the alarm clock on her desk as it woke her up. She turned off the alarm, rising from her bed and going about her usual routine. She showered, donned her inform, and strode down the passageways towards the mess hall for breakfast, tying her hair back as she went. After eating a fairly light breakfast, Catherine went to speak with Knight-captain Cade. Upon entering the medical bay, Catherine was met not only by Cade, but Paladin Danse, and the same civilian who had been with Ashley when she first came aboard the Prydwen.

"Knight-captain, Paladin," she addressed, offering a salute to the two higher-ranking men. They both returned the gesture.

"I presume you are here to see Initiate Thomas?" Cade questioned.

Catherine nodded, "Yes, sir," she curtly answered.

"You three can go on, then. She woke up about ten minutes ago, so she'll still be a bit out of it," Cade told them.

The three nodded, and Catherine moved to lead the two men over to their associate. They found Ashley sitting up, propped up on a couple of pillows, absent-mindedly fiddling with her necklace. Upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, she looked up, giving a bit of a chuckle at seeing MacCready with the uniformed figures of Danse and her sister.

"Hey, Mac," she casually addressed. "What're you doing here?"

"Came to make sure you were in one piece, Rou," MacCready stated, joking a bit.

"After the events of last evening, I went and retrieved him," Danse offered. "I thought it may somehow assist in your recovery."

"Wait, backtracking a little bit. Did he call you, ' _Rou'_?" Catherine questioned.

"I've gone by ' _Roulette'_ for the passed couple of years," Ashley explained. "And thanks for getting him, Danse, it does help. Especially when you consider the fact that Cade won't let me do anything for myself."

"Well, at least one thing hasn't changed," Catherine observed, rolling her eyes a bit. "You've got to let those wounds heal, Ash, once they do, you'll be up and about again."

Roulette groaned a bit, "I hate sitting around like this," she muttered.

"That's obvious," MacCready stated.

Catherine chuckled lightly, "She's always been like this," she said.

"I shouldn't be surprised," Danse returned.

"Okay, can we shut up about my stubborn nature?" Roulette cut in.

"Yeah, let's move on from that. How are you feeling?" Catherine questioned.

"Like I was thrown around like a ragdoll by a pissed off deathclaw," Rou told her, giving a sarcastic, though not entirely inaccurate reply.

"I figured. It sort of looked like that, in a way. It was hard to watch," Catherine told her.

"Should I even ask?" MacCready inquired.

"The Elder doused her with water and gave her eight lashes. Seemed harder than they normally would have been, though. I get the feeling that Elder Maxson might have let his personal feelings towards the Initiate play a role in the situation," Danse explained.

MacCready took a moment to process this, trying to imagine just what it would have been like to see that. He soon stopped, finding it to be a bad idea to visualize the scene. "Wow," he muttered. "That's harsh."

"It may be," Danse stated. "But, considering her actions, it was seen as the best option."

"That's fu- er, that's crazy," MacCready responded, almost shocked that the BoS would go so far.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood, Mac," Rou sarcastically stated.

"Speaking of the Brotherhood," Catherine mused. She turned to Danse and MacCready, "Can I talk to Ash alone for a moment?"

"Of course," Danse respectfully answered.

"I guess so," came MacCready's more reluctant reply.

"It'll be fine, Mac," Roulette offered, trying to reassure the man. Her companion gave a nod and stepped out with Danse, leaving the two sisters alone.

"You could've at least told somebody you were going to leave," Catherine stated, turning to her younger sister, speaking with a scolding sort of tone.

"Then I would have had to deal with all the crap that comes along with trying to officially leave," Rou responded.

"You ended up deserting. They were searching all over for you."

Roulette rolled her eyes, "Then they weren't searching very hard."

"You're crazy! You could've been killed out there, Ash," Catherine's voice held a heavy dose of concern.

"If I did, I would've been the one to end it. You know what we promised Dad. We said that if we were cornered with no way out, nobody would have the satisfaction of landing the final blow."

" _You_ made that promise. That was your idea after we lost him, Ashley, _I_ never agreed to it."

"Yet, you still wear those rounds."

Catherine said nothing for a moment. She had always kept the two bullets tucked under her collar, out of sight. How could Ash ave known she still kept that necklace on?

Roulette gave a quiet laugh. "Don't think I didn't notice how you were fidgeting with them last night. If there's anything we share, it's a nervous tick."

"Yeah, I guess we do," Catherine admitted.

"I'm honestly surprised you still wear them, though."

"I guess I just wanted to keep a bit of you with me, as sappy as it might sound."

Rou nodded, it did sound sappy, but, that's how Catherine was. "You know I'm still just going to leave again, right? I don't like how things run around here, these guys are basically hostile purists."

"I know it looks like that, but there's a good reason for it-,"

"What good reason is there for killing innocent ghouls and synths?! They're just trying to get by, just like everybody else!"

"They're dangerous, Ashley."

"Dangerous? _Life_ is dangerous, Catherine, that's just how things are!"

Catherine sighed. She knew that her sister was right, and that she was going to leave, no matter what she was told. Ash had always been stubborn like that. "Fine," Catherine admitted. "But don't do anything too dumb. I don't want this to happen again."

"No promises," Roulette flatly offered, as Catherine began to leave.

As she approached the door, Catherine turned to her younger sister. "I'm still glad you're alright, Ash. No matter what, I'll always hope for the best," with that, the older sibling left, going to take care of her usual duties.

"What happened there?" MacCready questioned, as he entered the room once more, not long after Catherine had taken off. It seemed that Danse had also left, as the ex-Gunner came in alone.

"My sister being a dumbass happened," Rou told him, still holding an obvious tone of annoyance. "I'm going to talk to cade, see what it'll take for me to stay away from these bastards."

"I'm guessing you two got into another fight?"

"Yeah. And I'm not gonna stick around for the fallout of this one."

With this, Roulette moved to try to get up from her bed. MacCready rushed to stop her, as she muttered a handful of curses under her breath. The lingering pain was obviously worse than what the girl had been letting on.

"Stay there," MacCready told her, putting a hand on the blue-eyed girl's shoulder. "I'll go get Cade, you need some painkiller for that, anyways."

"I'm fine," Roulette insisted.

"Like a mole rat's a- butt you are," MacCready replied.

Roulette groaned, aware that the man was not going to let off anytime soon. She lay back down, surrendering, albeit reluctantly so. Mac nodded, and left to retrieve the Knight-captain. The pair entered, with Cade carrying a syringe of Med-X. The Knight-captain shook his head a bit when he laid eyes upon his patient.

"You really should just stay and rest. There may not be any serious damage, but those lashes still cut deep," Cade told her, as he administered roughly half a dose of the medication.

"I'm not dealing with mister high-and-mighty and the rest of the Brotherhood for any longer than I need to," Roulette told him.

Cade sighed. "Ultimately, it's your choice. But, I would recommend that you stay and recover," he informed her, keeping his voice as level as he could through his mild annoyance. "And if you intend to leave again, then you will have to take it up with Elder Maxson."

"Great," Rou sighed, her exasperation evident in her voice.

"Either I can bring him down, or you can wait until I've cleared you medically and go on your own."

"I'd rather get it over with as soon as I can."

"I'll try to get him down here, then. But, I cannot promise anything."

Roulette nodded, saying nothing as Cade left, most likely to speak with the Elder. The girl lay her head back, tired and frustrated. In the aftermath of last night, she found that her sister may have actually been right in something she had told her quite some time ago.

" _No matter how hard you fight, or how far you run, your past actions will still catch up with you in time. The past never goes away, no matter how much you wish it would."_


	13. Chapter 13

Chance

Chapter 13: Options

Cade was gone for a couple of hours, leaving Roulette and MacCready alone to their own devices. The pair talked about their recent experiences, joking, and mostly just avoiding mentioning what neither of them desired to speak about. Eventually, the Knight-captain returned, with Elder Maxson following close behind. The atmosphere in the room became tense almost as soon as the imposing man stepped in, standing at the foot of the bed, clasping his hands behind his back. Time almost seemed to come to a stop as he towered over the edge of the bed, coldly eyeing Roulette.

"Knight-captain Cade has informed me that you wish to discuss leaving the Brotherhood of Steel," Maxson stated, in his gruff voice and usual stern tone.

"Yeah, that's right," Roulette answered, being sure to keep her eyes fixed on the man before her. She wasn't about to let the events of last night scare her into submission.

"Very well. If the Knight-captain and your civilian friend would step out for a moment, we can discuss the options," the Elder informed.

With that, Cade left the room, with MacCready following behind him. Soon, the Elder and Roulette were the only two in the room, and a moment of heavy silence went by before either of them spoke.

"You are intending to leave the Brotherhood entirely, is that correct?" Maxson questioned, being the first to say anything in the midst of the silence.

"Yes," Roulette bluntly replied.

Maxson nodded a bit, "There are options to go about this," he told her.

"Options?"

"You could completely leave the Brotherhood as is, or, we could work out a sort of, compromise."

"As if I would want to make a deal with you."

"I'll ask you to hear me out. This could end up beneficial to both of us."

"Fine, I'm listening," Rou mumbled as she sat up a bit, crossing her arms over her chest.

"First, I need some information. Last night, I couldn't help but notice the tattoos on your arm. I assume they have a connection to what you've been up to outside of the Brotherhood?"

"That's right. What does it matter in this, though?"

"I had one of the med go out and ask around about prominent figures in the area. The name ' _Roulette'_ came up a number of times in the report."

"I have a reputation. What about it?" Roulette couldn't see where this was going, what did people knowing her name have to do with her leaving the Brotherhood?

"The Brotherhood could benefit from having one with such influence," Maxson went on, making his way from where he was at the foot of the bed around to the side to stand next to Roulette.

Rou kept her gaze fixed on the Elder. "How could you benefit from someone who gets paid to do other people's dirty work?" she questioned.

"As of recently, we have had reports of several members deserting the Brotherhood and actively working against our forces. Standard protocols call for the termination of these individuals."

"So, basically you want me to do my usual job and take these guys out?"

"Yes. Sending out our men to do this would waste our resources, and could cost time, men, and equipment. Having you go about the task would pose less of a risk."

"So, you're saying I'm disposable?" Roulette questioned, finding it only the smallest bit surprising that the man would see one such as herself as disposable in this type of situation, especially following the events of last night.

"In a way. I would not say that you are fully disposable, but losing you to a task such as this would not have the same weight," Maxson told her.

After a moment, Rou responded. "I suppose the offer could work out, so long as you follow the way I do business," she said. The girl sat up straighter, intending to have Maxson play be her rules this round. If she was going to be working for these guys, she was going to make sure she got something out of it. She wasn't a sympathizer for their cause, nor was she a charity, after all.

Maxson arched an eyebrow in question at this, "And what would that entail?"

"For one, I'd be able to turn down a job. If something interfered with another contract, I would go about whichever is more of a priority. Just because you're mister high-and-mighty doesn't mean you'll get special treatment," Roulette told him. "And I expect to be paid for these little escapades. This _is_ my livelihood, after all."

Maxson exhaled through his nose, long and slow. This girl seemed to know now much he, and the rest of the Brotherhood, could use someone like herself behind the scenes. More than that, she obviously had a system in place, and would never think to deviate from her routine. The Brotherhood would just be another client to her. A high-profile client, but a client all the same.

"It would seem I have some thinking to do on the matter," Maxson finally stated, after remaining silent for a moment. The Elder wasn't going to agree to this right away, what sort of leader would he be if he gave into demands like these in a heartbeat?

"It sure looks it," Roulette replied. If he needed this stuff done as badly as he implied, he'd have no other option than to agree to her terms. As far as she could tell, as of right now, she held all the cards. Maxson almost didn't have a choice as he gave a nod, turned on his heel, and left the room. He had a decision to make, after all.


	14. Chapter 14

Chance

Chapter 14: Decisions

The evening hours passed in a similar manner to the previous night. MacCready and Roulette spoke, the time more about the possible opportunity she had on the table. The option of leaving the Brotherhood entirely was an enticing one, with the fact that she'd never need to associate herself with the group's ideals again, allowing her to go on with the life she'd made for herself. Though, Maxson's offer did have a certain pull factor of its own. If Rou agreed to take out traitors for the BoS, she would likely earn quite a few caps, and she'd have a steady flow of work, too, come to think of it. There was a downside, though, being that she would still be connected to the Brotherhood. Overall, she would still call the shots, working on her own terms, and not have to worry about the possible disciplinary actions that could follow.

Meanwhile, Elder Maxson was roaming the passageways of the Prydwen, his active mind urged him to keep moving as he mulled over the options before him. First, he could simply go through the process of formally discharging Ashley from the Brotherhood. Although it was a fairly lengthy process, he wouldn't have to worry about the Initiate ever again, and they could simply go their separate ways. On the other hand, though, her skills in the wastes would come in handy. Lately, there had been a spike in Brotherhood members simply leaving, abandoning their posts and deserting their brothers and sisters. Ashley seemed to have a knack for finding people out in the wasteland, if those tally marks were anything to go off of. These skills could be useful in finding and eliminating these deserters. The downside came with her partial exploitation of the Brotherhood's need to have somebody do the job. In all, Maxson had little choice in the matter, really, and he could tell that Ashley had already known this. As the man returned to his private quarters, he gave a heavy sigh. In a way, as he prepared to turn in for the night, he knew his decision had already been made for him.

As morning dawned, the airship once again began to buzz with activity. Maxson woke early and went about his usual routine, getting himself cleaned up and into his uniform, before getting breakfast and checking up on the crew. Afterwards, he made his way to the infirmary, where Knight-captain Cade was just starting his day. The two men greeted one another, and the Elder went to check up on Ashley.

This time, the girl was up on her feet, clad in the heavy pants and beat-up boots she had originally arrived in. The back of her worn bra clasped over one of the marks left behind from the other night. The eight marks still stood out, red and angry against her skin. Maxson had to remind himself to remain neutral in the situation, despite the mild satisfaction he felt upon seeing the result of his handiwork. The Elder cleared his throat as the young woman pulled a dark red shirt on over her head and straightened it out over her marred back.

Roulette turned to face the man, running her fingers through her half-head of black waves, "I'm guessing you're here about what we discussed last night?" she asked, looking up at the man.

Maxson sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. "As much as I hate to say it," he began, "I have to agree with your conditions. This issue must be taken care of, and your, shall we say, skills, could prove useful."

Rou gave a chuckle and a bit of a smirk, "Looks like we're on the same page," she told him. "I guess you've got yourself a hired gun," she observed, offering a hand to the Elder.

With some annoyance, Maxson met the gesture, clasping the young woman's hand, perhaps a bit too tightly, and gave a firm shake. The Elder had to restrain himself from giving some remark about the fact that the young woman before him was still working under the umbrella of the Brotherhood. As the two parted, Roulette took a red bandanna from MacCready, and went about tying it around her neck, "So," she stated, "When do I start?"

"That is still to be determined," Maxson answered. "Once you are cleared by Knight-captain Cade, we can start to discuss the matter."

"Considering she is adamant about leaving against my advice, I'd say I have no choice but to clear her," Cade interjected, standing in the doorway of the room.

"Then it seems you'll be starting soon. I expect to see you up on the observation deck in one hour," Maxson told Roulette, before he turned on his heel and left.

With the decision made, it seemed a new chapter was going to start in the lives of Roulette, the Elder, and a number of others around them. Now, the two could only hope that they had done what was best for themselves, and the people close to them.

 _ **((A/N: Hey guys, as of right now, this is the last chapter I had typed up for this story. Because of this, "Chance" will be going on hiatus until I can build up another stock of chapters to post. I have a couple drafted, but they aren't typed. What I'll likely do, is I'll continue drafting through the rest of this semester, then type up the new chapters during my coming Winter break. So, it'll likely be a couple of months before the next update. I hope you've all enjoyed the story up to this point, and be sure to leave your feedback in the comments, as I do try to take what the readers think into consideration as I move forward in writing a story. Also, be sure to check out some of my other work, if you'd like, and keep an eye out for new stories I'm looking to publish soon! Anyways, I'll stop rambling and let you all go, now.))**_


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